AP File PhotoDetroit Red Wings Jan Mursak is finally getting a chance to play again after breaking his ankle in a Sept. 25 preseason game.

GRAND RAPIDS — Jan Mursak arrived at training camp in September looking forward to some hockey after spending most of the summer working out with a personal trainer.

Then he broke his left ankle in a Sept. 25 preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks and promptly was forced back to the gym, first doing upper body work, then adding his lower body when the cast came off.

After a while, he got a little bored.

“I’d been working out all summer — and then another three months,” Mursak said. “It’s been a while.”

That’s one reason why he was eager to start his two-week conditioning stint with the Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday in their 6-5 overtime loss at Lake Erie. Mursak is expected to appear in four or five more games with the Griffins, unless the parent club Detroit Red Wings recall him early.

Mursak said the extra lifting did help him get stronger, which showed in his play against Lake Erie.

Wearing his Red Wings No. 39 instead of the 13 he wore with the Griffins — a number that currently is worn by Gustav Nyquist — Mursak took three shots and had an assist in his first game back.

“I was surprised how good I felt. It was a while since I was playing last,” he said. “Everything went well. There are certain things I have to get better at, but my legs were going, I was skating pretty good and I was pretty happy about that.”

Mursak’s return provides a boost to a Griffins lineup that already was missing Chris Conner and Joakim Andersson when Gustav Nyquist was recalled Thursday afternoon.

The 23-year-old forward had 86 points (39 goals, 47 assists) in 184 games with the team from 2008-11.

“It’s great to have Murs back. He’s an NHL player and he brings a ton of speed for us,” Grand Rapids coach Curt Fraser said. “Although he hasn’t played since training camp, he was one of the best players on the ice (Wednesday) night. He’s been working hard to get back in shape.”

Fraser said there appeared to be no lingering effects from Mursak’s injury. If anything, he looked even faster than before.

“If you saw the injury, it was terrible,” Fraser said. “You’d probably think it would take the whole year to come back, but he’s a hard-working kid, tough and he’s worked through it.”

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Mursak injured his ankle rushing into the offensive zone, when he was pushed into the boards and his leg bent awkwardly. He was surprised his recovery didn’t require more time, but was relieved the injury didn’t include his knee.

For now, Mursak is enjoying playing with some of his old Griffins teammates and returning to his old locker room.

“I just want to play well, get into hockey shape. Coach gives me a lot of ice time, a lot of opportunity to play in any situation,” he said. “I just want to play good here. I don’t even care or worry about the points that much, I just want to help the team get some wins.”

Then he will gladly return to the Red Wings, where he had been looking forward to beginning his first full season in the NHL.

“Of course, but it won’t be easy,” he said. “The team there is so good that I’ll have to steal someone’s spot. At first, I have to play really good here, get back into hockey shape and then we’ll see what happens.”